Long before banks, ATMS and check-cashing services, there were pawn shops. Pawning was the leading form of consumer credit in the United States until the 1950s, and pawn shops are still helping everyday people make ends meet. Pawn Stars takes you inside the colorful world of the pawn business.Live Streaming Video Free Online Tv at Home Game online for Live stream Video on your Online TV Broad cast At the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on the outskirts of Las Vegas, three generations of the Harrison family--grandfather Richard, son Rick and grandson Corey--jointly run the family business, and there's clashing and camaraderie every step of the way. The three men use their sharp eyes and skills to assess the value of items from the commonplace to the truly historic, including a 16th-century samurai sword, a Super Bowl ring, a Picasso painting and a 17th-century stay of execution. It's up to them to determine what's real and what's fake, as they reveal the often surprising answer to the questions on everyone's mind, "What's the story behind it"? and "What's it worth?"Although there are similarities to antique roadshow, these guys are offering INSTANT CASH in most cases. When they are unsure of an items value, they bring in experts in their field, and they do it while the customer is there. It is funny when the expert says an item is worth 3000 retail and then the customer expects 3000. As Rick says over and over, I can't stay in business paying retail.
As to Steve's comments on collectibles; I don't think they are making 10x what an item is worth. Anyone that stupid to sell so cheaply deserves to get hammered in my opinion. If you are a collector, then you should be doing your own homework on channels to sell through, and there are plenty of them. If you feel your best option is to sell to a pawn broker, then what would you be expecting? Steve, I'd like to know in your opinion, what exactly the value of "culture" is, as you state in your post. They are pawn brokers. That's what the show is about. Your post suggests that the SELLERS of the items are not interested in the money, which is clearly not the case. Every single person is most interested in what they can get for their item. And I also don't agree with your assessment of "the poor seller at their mercy due to lack of knowledge." Knowledge is something that can be acquired, and sellers should obviously have acquired some concerning their items value before entering the arena of buying and selling. Also how could they tell the buyer what they intend to resell the item for when they really never KNOW what they're going to get. Market forces are constantly at work. Personally I think you paint a picture here that these guys are crooks, when in reality, this is business as usual. Buy low, sell high. You are clearly not a businessman. The interaction between the characters is highly entertaining, and somewhat informative as well.I have just recently gotten into Pawn Stars and I find it to be a great mix of entertainment and history lessons. The main draw for me is the simple give and take that goes on between the Pawn Store operators and the people who bring items in looking to make quick money. Clearly the biggest draw for this show is Rick, the pawn store owner. Although his dad (the old man) and his son (big hoss) are big parts of the show, it is Rick who makes this show interesting and worthwhile. I don't think that Hollywood could have scripted someone who could make a pawn store owner a truly likable and complex individual. Rick manages to show interest and respect to every person who brings in something for sale while managing to explain his position in understandable terms. The bottom line is that a pawn shop is a place for people in need of quick cash to sell just about anything, just at bargain basement prices. If someone wants to get maximum money for their goods they would have to do market research, team up with a reputable auction house, or go on ebay and roll the dice that someone may make a high enough bid. Otherwise, you can go for the easy money of a pawn shop (albeit much less money.)
A couple of final notes about the characters on the show, as I stated earlier Rick is far and away the star of the show and he is really what makes it watchable. His father doesn't contribute a whole lot other than some standard old man talk. His son (Big Hoss) is pretty much a waste of space and contributes nothing to the show unless you like to watch a very (very) large person walking around in Ed Hardy jeans acting like some kind of tough guy. He is a very simple person, clearly having missed many of the complexities of human nature possessed by his father. Finally, Chumlee is one of the most enjoyable characters ever to grace television, the large man-child with a good heart and a simple mind. All in all I would definitely recommend watching this show to anyone.